In addition to his hotels, Peter Taylor has collected an impressive range of awards, including the Scottish tourist industry's top gong, the Silver Thistle, which he won in 2001.

He was honoured with an OBE for services to the hospitality industry in 2004 and last month he received the AA Lifetime Achievement award.

The Bonham was voted one of 21 of the world's coolest hotels by Conde Nast Traveller and Hotel of the Year by The Automobile Association.

Like many of Scotland's hotel entrepreneurs, Taylor worked for rags-to-riches hotelier Reo Stakis.

Other Stakis graduates include Ken McCulloch, founder of Malmaison and Dakota, and Donald McDonald, of McDonald Hotels. Taylor says he worked for Stakis for two years.

He bought the Howard in 1996 out from under the nose of his rival Ken McCulloch, who reportedly had already printed brochures.

His first hotel was the Lundin Links in Fife which he took from receivershipand turned into a profitable business.

Taylor was an early advocate of rationalising the area tourist board network.

He is current chair and a founder of the Scottish Tourism forum and chairman of the British Hospitality Association.

Town House company employees undergo an accreditation process called Hospitality Assured.

Taylor said: "There are those who say the customer is the most important thing, but our team is the most important thing. If the team are happy then they in turn keep the customer happy - there is something in that."